Adjustable garment shape-retaining hanger

ABSTRACT

An adjustable, garment shape-retaining hanger having a laterally expandable neck shaping support mounted beneath a hook, a pair of opposed, shoulder supports and sleeve shapers and, a laterally adjustable side seam-shaping support mounted to and between the bottom ends of the sleeve shapers.

United States Patent- [151 3,695,492 Sheba [451 Oct. 3, 1972 [5 ADJUSTABLE GARMENT SHAPE 2,423,961 A 7/ 1947 Buxton ..223/95 RETAINING HANGER 2,959,332 11/ 1960 Spitz ..223/94 [72] Inventor: Helen Sheba, 320 S. Harrison St., g i East Orange NJ 07018 ug ass [22 il June 22 1970 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1 ltaly Primary Examiner.lordan Franklin [52] US. Cl ..223/94 As n-mm ExaminerGeorgc H, Krizmanich [51] Int. Cl ..A47j 51/12 Attorney-Popper, Bain & Bobis [58] Field of Search ..223/85, 88-95,

223/68 [57] ABSTRACT 56] References Cited An adjustable, garment shape-retaining hanger having a laterally expandable neck shaping support mounted UNITED STATES PATENTS beneath a hook, a pair of opposed, shoulder supports and sleeve shapers and, a laterally adjustable side 390,668 10/1888 Hall p g pp mounted to and between the 913,329 2/1909 Ufford ..223/68 bottom ends of the sleeve shapers 2,637,471 5/1953 Goldschmidt et a1 ..223/89 2,096,827 10/1937 Simon ..223/88 10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEnnm m2 3.695.492

[ N VENTOR.

HELEN SHEBA BY Y QMSSWQ.) d

ATTORNEYS BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Many garments, particularly womens dresses cannot be hung on ordinary wire or-wooden hangers without distorting or permitting the garment to distort under its own weight. In particular, the standing type collar or mandarin or rolled neck requires support when the garment is hung; otherwise, the collar will droop under its own weight resulting in creases or other distortions which cannot be removed without at least pressing. The problem is still more acute if the garment is compressed as, for instance, in a crowded closet or travel luggage.

The same problem is experienced with unsupported sleeve openings such as wide arm holes and the like in sleeveless dresses.

In addition, the front and rear panels of a garment should also be supported to avoid distorting under its own weight or under compression by adjacent garments. With respect to the front and rear panels, the most practical means of achieving support is to place the front and rear panels under tension by the application of opposing forces applied along the respective side seams thereof for a substantial vertical distance.

With respect to the problem presented by the collar, many women employ rolls of tissue paper or cardboard strips to achieve support. The draw backs of such expedients are obvious and many.

With respect to side seams, some hangers provide resilient, arcuate members which engage and apply opposing forces at the side seams of the garment. However, in order to provide resilience and a very limited degree of adjustability, the arcuate configuration results in contact at the side seam at a single point. This produces tension across the front and rear panels only at the level of engagement of the arcuate members producing undesired distortion above and below as well as excessive pressure on the seam at the point of contact. Moreover, such hangers cannot accommodate "wide variations in the width of garments between the side seams generated both by differences insize and style.

Therefore, it is among the objects and advantages of the present invention to provide an adjustable, garment shape-retaining hanger which will provide simultaneous support against distortion at the neck, open sleeves and across the front and rear panels.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hanger as aforesaid in which the neck support and side seam supports are each laterally adjustable within wide ranges.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a hanger as aforesaid in which the sleeve supports are shaped to accommodate a wide range of sleeve opening sizes.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a hanger support as aforesaid which may be employed for all types of garments irrespective of design and may be fabricated of inexpensive material and easily assembled components.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION An adjustable, garment shape-retaining hanger comprising a pair of generally opposed shoulder supports, a laterally expandable collar support mounted above the shoulder supports at their central juncture, means for mounting the collar support to the shoulder supports, an arcuate sleeve former formed on the end of each shoulder support, a laterally expandable side seam support beneath the said sleeve formers and means for attaching the seam supports to the shoulder supports.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF INVENTION The objects and advantages aforesaid as well as other objects and advantages may be achieved by the garment shape-retaining hanger claimed herein a preferred embodiment of which is illustrated in the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the hanger;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the hanger;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevational cross sectional view of the neck support;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side elevational cross sectional view of the side seam support.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the hanger comprises a hook 11 which may be either rigid or bendable wire. While a hook 11 has been illustrated in the drawings, any attachment means may be employed as for instance the well known shaft with a ball on the top employed in commercial establishments such as hotels and the like.

The hook 11 is formed integrally with a shaft 12 at its bottom. In the species illustrated in the drawings, the shaft 12 is generated by intertwisting a pair of deformable wires from which shoulder supports 13 and 14 are fabricated. I

- The shoulder supports 13 and I4 terminate in a pair of opposed arcuate sleeve shapers 15 and 16 respectively. The shoulder supports 13 and 14 flare outwardly and downwardly from the shaft 12. The sleeve shapers l5 and 16 begin as an integral terminal end of the shoulder supports 13 and 14 arcing downwardly and inwardly toward a laterally expandable seam support 17.

The seam support 17 is connected to the shoulder support assembly comprising both the shoulder supports 13 and 14 and the sleeve shapers l5 and 16 by downwardly and inwardly extending connecting members Is and 19 formed integrally therewith. The terminal ends of the connecting members 18 and 19 wrap around the tubular outer body 20 of the seam support 17.

A laterally expandable neck support 21 is mounted on the shaft 12 beneath the hook 11. The neck support 21 which is illustrated in greater detail in FIG. 3 comprises a tubular body member 22 which receives on opposite ends thereof a pair of telescoping shafts 23 and 24. The shafts 23 and 24 are frictionally engaged to the walls of the internal passage 25 of the tubular body member 22. The external ends of shafts 23 and 24 are provided with a vertical collar stretcher 26 and 27. Each of the stretchers 26 and 27 are rigidly mounted on the respective shafts 23 and 24 and comprise a pair of depending legs 28 and 29 which extend downwardly on opposite sides of the respective shoulder supports 13 and 14.

The shaft 12 extends upwardly through a passage 30 in the tubular body 22 of the neck support 21. Preferably, the joint between the shaft 12 and the tubular body member 22 of the neck support 21 is rigid.

The seam support 17 comprises a tubular body member 20 having a pair of shafts 31 and 32 telescopically inserted in opposite ends thereof. There is a frictional engagement between the shafts 31 and 32 and the passage 33 of the tubular body member 20.

The shafts 31 and 32 of the seam support assembly 17 are each provided with a generally vertically extending leg respectively 34 and 35. The legs 34 and 35 are rigidly attached to the respective shafts 31 and 32. The hook l1, shaft 12, shoulder supports 13 and 14, sleeve shapers 15 and 16 and the connecting members 18 and 19 are preferably fabricated of deformable wire hanger material which facilitates fabrication and reduce costs. The tubular body members 22 and 20 respectively of the neck support 21 and seam support 17 may be fabricated of any convenient material such as plastic, aluminum, fiber or the like. So also, the neck stretchers 26 and 27 as well as the legs 34 and 35 may be fabricated of any convenient material having a reasonable degree of rigidity.

In operation, the garment, a dress or otherwise is hung upon the hanger in the usual fashion with the shoulder supports 13 and 14 engaged to the shoulder portions of the garment and the hook 11 extending upwardly through the neck opening. The sleeve shapers l and 16 project through the openings of the sleeve. The sleeve shapers and 16 are very narrow at the arcuate apex but rapidly expand outwardly. Normally, the garment will seek its own level on the hanger with the sleeve shapers l5 and 16 filling any opening of a sleeveless dress and giving shape to the opening.

The collar support 21 is reduced to its most narrow width by forcing the shafts 23 and 24 inwardly into the tubular body member 22. The neck stretchers 26 and 27 are then pulled outwardly, preferably an equal distance until they engage and shape the collar on opposite sides thereof. The depending legs 28 and 29 extend beneath the shoulder supports 13 and 14 and thus provide support to all types of dresses whether or not the neck line was of the stand up variety or the usual variety having merely an opening without an upstanding collar. In addition, since the legs 28 and 29 extend downwardly on opposite sides of the shoulder supports 13 and 14, the entire assembly is given greater structural strength.

The frictional engagement between the shafts 23 and 24 and the tubular passage 25 of the body 22 is sufficient to hold the shafts in position when extended against any pressure which could be generated by the normal weight of the garment. Yet, although the shafts 23 and 24 have positional memory, they do not exert resilient deformation upon the collar which under certain circumstances could be damaging. Nevertheless, in circumstances in which such resilient engagement is not undesirable, a spring could be positioned between the ends of shafts 23 and 24 in the tubular passage 25 normally urging the shafts 23 and 24 outwardly.

The shafts 31 and 32 are inserted in the tubular body member of the seam support 17 generally in the same fashion as shafts 23 and 24 of the neck support 21.

The legs 34 and 35 on shafts 31 and 32 respectively are adapted to engage the side seams of the garment along a substantial vertical distance. While the legs 34 and 35 are shown as depending, it is to be understood that they may be ascending or both ascending and depending, depending upon the length of the connecting members 18 and 19. As in the case of the neck support 21, the legs 34 and provide tension across the garments front and rear panels to avoid distortion. Since the pressure is applied along a substantial vertical distance, there is no tendency towards deformation at any one point.

The foregoing description is merely intended to illustrate an embodiment of the invention. The component parts have been shown and described. They each may have substitutes which may perform a substantially similar function; such substitutes may be known as proper substitutesfor the said components and may have actually been known or invented before the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable, garment shape-retaining hanger comprising:

a. a pair of generally opposed shoulder supports,

b. a laterally expandable collar support mounted above the shoulder supports,

c. a sleeve-shaping end on each shoulder support,

and

d. laterally expandable generally vertically depending side-seam supports mounted beneath the sleeve-shaping ends of the shoulder supports, the

side-seam supports and collar support being laterally expandable independently of each other.

2. An adjustable, garment shape-retaining hanger comprising,

a. the structure in accordance with claim 1, and b. an upstanding leg rigidly mounted on each end of the side-seam support adapted to extend generally vertically downwardly to the proximity of the waist of the garment hung on the shoulder supports. 3. An adjustable, garment shape-retaining hanger comprising:

a. the structure in accordance with claim 1 in which b. at least the shoulder supports and side seam supports generally lie in the same flat plane. 4. An adjustable, garment shape-retaining hanger comprising,

a. the structure in accordance with claim 3, and b. an upstanding leg rigidly mounted on each side of the collar support extending downwardly to and slidably engageable with the respective shoulder supports. 5. An adjustable, garment shape-retaining hanger comprising,

a. the structure in accordance with claim 3 in which, b. the said sleeve shaping ends comprise arcuately downwardly extending terminal ends of the respective shoulder supports having formed on their lowermost portions a generally straight member extending downwardly and slightly obliquely inwardly from the vertical. 6. An adjustable, garment shape-retaining hanger comprising,

a. the structure in accordance with claim 5 in which, b. the said side-seam support is attached to the lowermost ends of the said straight member of the said sleeve shaping ends of the shoulder supports. 7. An adjustable, garment shape-retaining hanger comprising,

a. the structure in accordance with claim 1 in which b. the collar support has frictionally endured lateral position memory sufficient to resist at least the force of deformation of the collar under the garments weight.

8. An adjustable, garment shape-retaining hanger comprising,

a. the structure in accordance with claim 1 in which b. the side seam support has frictionally induced lateral position memory sufficient to resist at least the forces of deformation of the garment under its own weight.

9. An adjustable, garment shape-retaining hanger comprising,

a. the structure in accordance with claim 1, and

b. at least one shaft extending upwardly from the inwardly terminal ends of the shoulder supports,

0. the collar support being mounted on said shaft above and spaced-away from the shoulder supports,

d. the collar support being a generally horizontal tube having a rod telescopically mounted in each free end,

e. an upstanding leg rigidly mounted on each rod of the collar support extending downwardly to and slidably engageable with the respective shoulder supports,

f. the side-seam support being a generally horizontal tube secured to the lowermost portions of the sleeve shaping ends of the shoulder supports, having a rod telescopically mounted in each free ends,

g. an upstanding leg rigidly mounted on each rod of the side-seam support adapted to extend downwardly to the proximity of the waist of the garment hung on the shoulder supports,

h. the rods mounted in the respective tubes of the collar support and side seam support being frictionally engaged therein sufficient to provide lateral position memory sufficient to resist lateral displacement under the weight of the garment supported thereon.

10. An adjustable garment shape-retaining hanger comprising, i

a. the structure in accordance with claim 9 in which,

b. the said sleeve shaping ends comprise arcuately downwardly extending terminal ends of the respective shoulder supports having formed on their lowermost portions a generally straight member extending downwardly and slightly obliquely inwardly from the vertical, the lowermost portion of said straight member being secured to the said tube of the side-seam support. 

1. An adjustable, garment shape-retaining hanger comprising: a. a pair of generally opposed shoulder supports, b. a laterally expandable collar support mounted above the shoulder supports, c. a sleeve-shaping end on each shoulder support, and d. laterally expandable generally vertically depending side-seam supports mounted beneath the sleeve-shaping ends of the shoulder supports, the side-seam supports and collar support being laterally expandable independently of each other.
 2. An adjustable, garment shape-retaining hanger comprising, a. the structure in accordance with claim 1, and b. an upstanding leg rigidly mounted on each end of the side-seam support adapted to extend generally vertically downwardly to the proximity of the waist of the garment hung on the shoulder supports.
 3. An adjustable, garment shape-retaining hanger comprising: a. the structure in accordance with claim 1 in which b. at least the shoulder supports and side seam supports generally lie in the same flat plane.
 4. An adjustable, garment shape-retaining hanger comprising, a. the structure in accordance with claim 3, and b. an upstanding leg rigidly mounted on each side of the collar support extending downwardly to and slidably engageable with the respective shoulder supports.
 5. An adjustable, garment shape-retaining hanger comprising, a. the structure in accordance with claim 3 in which, b. the said sleeve shaping ends comprise arcuately downwardly extending terminal ends of the respective shoulder supports having formed on their lowermost portions a generally straight member extending downwardly and slightly obliquely inwardly from the vertical.
 6. An adjustable, garment shape-retaining hanger comprising, a. the structure in accordance with claim 5 in which, b. the said side-seam support is attached to the lowermost ends of the said straight member of the said sleeve shaping ends of the shoulder supports.
 7. An adjustable, garment shape-retaining hanger comprising, a. the structure in accordance with claim 1 in which b. the collar support has frictionally endured lateral position memory sufficient to resist at least the force of deformation of the collar under the garments weight.
 8. An adjustable, garment shape-retaining hanger comprising, a. the structure in accordance with claim 1 in which b. the side seam support has frictionally induced lateral position memory sufficient to resist at least the forces of deformation of the garment under its own weight.
 9. An adjustable, garment shape-retaining hanger comprising, a. the structure in accordance with claim 1, and b. at least one shaft extending upwardly from the inwardly terminal ends of the shoulder supports, c. the collar support being mounted on said shaft above and spaced-away from the shoulder supports, d. the collar support being a generally horizontal tube having a rod telescopically mounted in each free end, e. an upstanding leg rigidly mounted on each rod of the collar support extending downwardly to and slidably engageable with the respective shoulder supports, f. the side-seam support being a generally horizontal tube secured to the lowermost portions of the sleeve shaping ends of the shoulder supports, having a rod telescopically mounted in each free ends, g. an upstanding leg rigidly mounted on each rod of the side-seam support adapted to extend downwardly to the proximity of the waist of the garment hung on the shoulder supports, h. the rods mounted in the respective tubes of the collar support and side seam support being frictionally engaged therein sufficient to provide lateral position memory sufficient to resist lateral displacement under the weight of the garment supported thereon.
 10. An adjustable garment shape-retaining hanger comprising, a. the structure in accordance with claim 9 in which, b. the said sleeve shaping ends comprise arcuately downwardly extending terminal ends of the respective shoulder supports having formed on their lowermost portions a generally straight member extending downwardly and slightly obliquely inwardly from the vertical, the lowermost portion of said straight member being secured to the said tube of the side-seam support. 